Diesel locomotive fire preventer



Dec. 4, 1962 w. BRIGGS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FIRE PREVENTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1960 Wade Briggs INVENTOR.

I Q C BY WW1- Dec. 4, 1962 Filed July 11, 1960 Fig 3 Fig 4 W. BRIGGS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FIRE PREVENTER 9 see 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wade Bn'ggs' 1N VE N TOR.

BY Ewan/Z32;

da /WW 18 M Patented Dec. 4, i962 3,066,464 DEESEL LUCUMOTKVE PREVENTER Wade Briggs, 119 N. P St, Muskogee, Girls. Filed Early 11, watt, Ser. No. 41,884 8 flainis. (-Cl. 525-436} This invention comprises -a novel and useful diesel locomotive fire preventer and more particularly relates to a spark arrester for attachment to the exhaust stacks of diesel locomotives to effectively prevent the passage of burning particles of fuel in the exhaust gases therefrom.

Owing to imperfect combustion of its fuel, an internal combustion engine, especially of the diesel type, is occasionally prone to accumulate carbon in its combustion chamber. Under certain conditions, such accumulations of carbon are loosened and are discharged with the exhaust gases into the atmosphere. Since this carbon is in the form of solid particles, which owing to the temperature to which it has been subjected is at the combustion temperature, it continues to burn after it has been discharged into the atmosphere and has ample access to oxygen, thus producing an undesirable fire hazard.

This condition is especially prevalent in diesel engines of the larger type such as those employed for locomotive use, and is especially dangerous since the burning particlcs of solid matter are liable to be ejected under situations creating a serious fire hazard, as for example during the passage of the locomotive through forests and the like.

it is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide an attachment capable of ready application to the exhaust stacks of diesel locomotives which will effectively prevent the discharge of burning solid particles therefrom.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a fire preventer for the exhaust stacks of diesel locomotives which shall include a highly effective baffiing system which will prevent the egress of solid particles from the exhaust stack into the atmosphere, until such particles have been substantially or completely consumed and can no longer constitute a fire hazard.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which may be readily applied to conventional diesel locomotive engines and which will have sufiicient area for the passage of the gases therethrough as to impose a minimum obstruction to the flow of the exhaust gases into the atmosphere.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing object wherein the baffle assembly forming the essential element of the invention can be readily removed from or replaced in its containing housing, as required for servicing or repairs, with a minimum requirement of effort and time.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred form of the fire preventer in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the manner in which the fire preventer attachment of this invention is applied to the exhaust manifold of a diesel locomotive;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view in vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus of FIGURES l and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional detail View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring first to FIGURE 2 there is indicated generally by the numeral it the improved fire preventer in accordance with this invention which is shown as mounted upon an exhaust manifold 12 to which exhaust gases are supplied by the branch conduits 13 from a locomotive diesel engine, not shown. It will be observed that the fire preventer to be hereinafter described comprises an attachment consisting of a casing indicated generally by the numeral 14 and which is detachably secured as by a combined securing and communicating means indicated generally at 16 to the manifold 12.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES l, 3 and 4 it will be observed that the fire preventer attachment it) consists of a generally rectangular casing 14 having a pair of side walls lfi together with a pair of end walls it) and a bottom wall 22 with its top being open.

it will be observed that the securing and communicating means 16 is in the form of a sleeve or pipe which is elliptical in cross section and which has its longitudinal or major axis extending longitudinally of the casing or in the direction between the two end walls 2i) thereof and along a medial axis extending longitudinally of the bottom wall 22. Thus there is provided an elongated opening in the bottom wall 22 by means of which the exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold 12 may be discharged upwardly into the casing 14 and from thence, as set forth hereinafter, out of the open top of the same.

As will be noted in particular from FlGURE 4, the bottom wall 22 of the casing is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 24 which serve the several func tions of first admitting air upwardly into the casing to mingle with and cool the exhaust gases introduced thereinto by the sleeve to supply combustion air for completing combustion of any solid particles of fuel such as particles of carbon which are trapped in the casing as set forth hereinafter; and to provide a means whereby the residue or ashes of combustion may drop down wardly through the bottom wall of the casing in an innocuous manner.

The securing means 16 has its upper end extending upwardly through the corresponding opening in the bottom wall 22, and projects slightly thereabove to provide an upstanding rim as at 26 which thereby prevents the possibility of downilow of the solid particles which may be trapped in the casing id at times when the locomotive diesel engine is not operating.

The lower end of the means 16 is secured in the closed upper end of the manifold 12 in any desired manner, which in itself forms no part of the present invention.

Removably received in the casing l4 so that it may be introduced thereinto or removed from the open top of the latter is a deflector assembly which is designated generally by the numeral 30. This deflector assembly includes a frame having a pair of end plates each designated by the numeral 32 and which are rigidly secured together and which thus support a plurality of baffles or deflecting elements. At this point it should be observed that the end plates 32 are substantially coextensive with and substantially coterminous with the end walls 2% so that the deflector assembly may be snugly received in and will substantially fill the space within the chamber as will be apparent from a comparison of FiGURES 3 and 4.

Each of the baffles consists preferably of a rectangular plate or sheet of a suitable material such as metal or a refractory whose ends are fixedly secured to the two end plates 32. Each of these generally rectangular members is provided with a plurality of perforations therethrough as shown in FIGURES l and 3 which are of a size suffi- IE cient to permit free passage of the exhaust gases therethrough but will prevent passage of the unconsumed solid particles which may be entrained by the gas.

These baifles consist of a plurality of opposed sets of baffles disposed on opposite sides of the deflector assembly and of the casing so as to leave a central vertically extending gas passage therethrough. Thus, as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the opposed sets of batfles consist of two pairs of upper and lower baffies 40 and 42 at one side of the deflector assembly and casing and 44, 46 at the other side thereof. Each set of baflies of the opposed set of baffles is a flat plate-like member whose transverse axis is tilted upwardly and inwardly from the casing walls 18 towards the central exhaust passage through the casing, as shown in FIG- URES 1 and 4.

Disposed between the opposed set of baffles is an intermediate set of baffles consisting of horizontally extending substantially flat or if desired slightly upwardly concaved plate-like elements 54) and 52 which are likewise perforated and which are disposed intermediate the upper and lower baflles of the opposed sets of bafiles as shown in FIGURE 4 with each of the intermediate baflies over- 'lying the adjacent edges of opposed adjacent baffles of the two opposed sets of baffles as shown in FiGURE 4 whereby to provide a tortuous passage for gases around the deflector baffle assembly although permitting flow of gases through the perforations 54 of the opposed sets of baflies and 56 of the intermediate set of baflles, while preventing direct flow of and escape of the solid particles such as carbon or the like which may be carried by the exhaust gases upwardly from the manifold 12.

The arrangement is such that all such solid particles will be deflected and trapped within the casing below the bafiies until they are completely consumed by the incoming air through the apertures 24.

In order to facilitate insertion of the deflector assembly into or removal of the same from the casing 14, as when necessary for inspection or repairs, there are provided suitable fasteners such as the bolts 60 which are engaged through complementary aligned bores 62 and 64 in the end plates 32 and the end walls 20 respectively of the deflector assembly and the casing.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A fire preventer for diesel locomotives comprising a generally rectangular casing having side and end walls 4, with an open top and a bottom wall, connecting means on said bottom wall for securing said casing to an engine exhaust manifold and establishing free and unobstructed communication between the interiors of said casing and said manifold, a gas deflector assembly disposed in said casing and comprising a frame including end plates disposed adjacent to and substantially coextensive with said casing end walls, opposed sets of vertically spaced flat plates comprising baffles secured to and extending between said end plates, said opposed sets of baflles being disposed on opposite sides of said frame and having their adjacent edges spaced from each other to provide a vertically extending exhaust passage disposed centrally of said casing, an intermediate set of flat horizontally disposed plates constituting baffles and having the ends of each secured to said side plates and each overlying the adjacent edges of the opposite sets of baflies and said exhaust passage whereby to allow tortuous but uni-directional passage of gases upwardly through said casing to the open top thereof but preventing upward flow and escape of solid particles in said gases.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sets of bafiies has perforations therethrough of sufficient size for flow of gases but preventing flow of solid particles.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said intermediate set of bafl les has perforations therethrough of suflicient size for flow of gases but preventing flow of solid particles.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said opposed sets of baflles have perforations therethrough of sufficient size for flow of gases but preventing flow of solid particles.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said end plates are substantially coterminous with said end walls.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said baflles of said opposed sets are generally rectangular and have their transverse axes inclined from said casing side walls upwardly and inwardly of said casing.

7. The combination of claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a sleeve which is elliptical in cross section and has its major axis lying between and in the direction between said casing and walls.

8. The combination of claim 1, including fasteners extending through said end walls and end plates for detachably securing said deflector assembly to said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 128,693 Williams July 2, 1872 1,177,129 Mulvany Mar. 28, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,558 Great Britain of 1915 

